Senior Contract Attorney

SUMMARY

Ultimus Fund Solutions is an independent, technology-enabled provider of fund administration and investor servicing solutions, supporting more than 2,100 registered funds, private funds, and public plans with over $750 billion in assets under administration. Our legal team operates at the intersection of complex commercial contracting, regulatory compliance, and strategic transactions, partnering closely with internal business leaders, outside counsel, and institutional clients across the asset management ecosystem.

Ultimus Fund Solutions seeks a Senior Contract Attorney with deep experience in financial services contract drafting and negotiation to join its Corporate Legal Department. The successful candidate will serve as a primary drafter and negotiator of commercial agreements across the firm's fund administration, fund accounting, transfer agency, middle office, distribution, and compliance service lines, working directly with internal business leaders, compliance, and external counterparties. This is a substantive legal role requiring hands-on contract work, not a fund operations or fund administration support function.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements, including master services agreements for fund administration, fund accounting, transfer agency, middle office, distribution, and compliance services, fee schedules and appendices, letters of intent, authorized participant agreements, selling agreements, side letters, amendments, addenda, and a variety of vendor agreements ranging from software licenses to event contracts.
• Advise internal stakeholders on contractual risk, regulatory obligations, and commercial terms across registered fund and private fund service relationships.
• Provide legal guidance on matters arising under the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, and applicable SEC rules and regulations.
• Support broker-dealer and investment advisory client relationships, including review of applicable FINRA and SEC regulatory requirements as they intersect with service agreements.
• Collaborate with compliance on anti-money laundering (AML), Regulation S-P, GDPR, DPL, CCPA and CPRA and related regulatory requirements embedded in client contracts and RFI responses.
• Coordinate with outside counsel on litigation and complex transactional matters, managing scope and cost effectively.
• Partner with commercial, operations, and onboarding teams to align contract terms with operational capabilities and service delivery commitments.
• Manage contract lifecycle from initial negotiation through execution, working with the department’s senior paralegal on version control, executed document filing, and administrative close-out.
• Support M&A-related contract diligence and integration workstreams as needed.

May perform other duties as required and assigned.

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• J.D. from an accredited law school; active bar admission in good standing in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• Minimum of five years of experience in financial services contract drafting and negotiation, either in-house or at a law firm with a dedicated financial services or investment management practice.
• Working knowledge of the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the Securities Act of 1933, each as amended.
• Demonstrated experience drafting and negotiating complex commercial agreements in a financial services context, including fund administration, fund accounting, transfer agency, investment advisory, and/or broker-dealer relationships.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with senior business leaders, institutional clients, and outside counsel.
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent matters with competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Equivalent education and experience will be considered.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Experience spanning mutual fund administration, broker-dealer, and registered investment adviser contexts.
• Familiarity with alternative investment funds, business development companies, 3(c)7 exempt ’34 Act registered funds, collective investment trusts, unit investment trusts, UCITS, and ETF structures and mechanics.
• Prior in-house experience at a fund administrator, transfer agent, or asset manager.
• Exposure to AML program requirements, Regulation S-P, GDPR, and related compliance frameworks as they apply to service agreements and the cross-border transfer of information.
• Experience supporting M&A diligence or integration in a financial services context.

PHYSICAL AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS

• At times, as business needs arise, associates are required and agree to work beyond their normal workday or work week to fulfill the accountabilities required for their job.
• The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
  • The associate is regularly required to sit and stand.
  • The associate must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10lbs.
  • Specific vision abilities are required within this position.
• Occasional travel (approximately 10% or less) may be required in this position.
• Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable associates to perform the essential functions.

Ultimus is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of the applicant’s or employee’s race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran or military status, genetic information, citizenship or any other status entitled to protection under federal, state or local anti-discrimination laws. No questions on our employment application are intended to secure information that is to be used for impermissible purposes.